Boneland

LoveReading Says

The final volume of the Weirdstone trilogy is described on the book jacket as ‘a novel for adults, concluding a trilogy that was begun for children.’ A gap of almost 50 years separates Boneland from the preceding volume, The Moon of Gomrath, and in style it is certainly closer to Alan Garner’s more recent works, such as Strandloper and Thursbitch. The language has been pared down and often has a poetic quality to it, as if multiple meanings have been compressed into the sentences.

Set forty years or so after the events in The Moon of Gomrath, Colin is now a respected astrophysicist who works at Jodrell Bank observatory and is experiencing some sort of breakdown. He has been put on leave while he recuperates and we learn that he has no memory of his life before he was thirteen, the period during which the events in the first two books take place. He is eventually put in contact with a psychiatrist called Meg, who helps him to unravel the events that he has tried to block from his mind.

Mirroring Colin’s story is that of an unnamed Watcher from prehistory, who seems to be linked to Colin across time. The text alternates between their twin stories and takes on a stark beauty as the Watcher’s life is conveyed through flashes of imagery. It gives these parts of the book a very mysterious and powerful quality. Eventually, both stories come into focus and amplify each other.

As in the earlier books in the trilogy Boneland draws upon myth and legend, particularly Gawain and the Green Knight, and much is left to the reader to figure out for themself. This is also one of the book’s strengths, as it is not open to quick or easy interpretations and will most certainly reveal more upon each re-reading. Those readers expecting the adventure to continue on directly from The Moon of Gomrath, and to feature a similar cast of characters, will probably be a bit thrown by the book. However, anyone looking for a haunting story that will leave them with much to ponder will most certainly be well rewarded.     

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